


Girls' First Love

by CantarellaRose



Category: THE iDOLM@STER
Genre: F/F, Feelings Realization, First Kiss, Fluff, Gay Awakening, Rare Pairings, Slice of Life, bonding over shoujo manga
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-19
Updated: 2020-05-19
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:00:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24273205
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CantarellaRose/pseuds/CantarellaRose
Summary: It started with a question. Just one, innocent little question."What are you reading, Makoto-chan?"
Relationships: Kikuchi Makoto/Tanaka Kotoha
Kudos: 8





	Girls' First Love

**Author's Note:**

> I just, really love my rarepair. Bless the Jitensha commu for giving me crumbs.  
> Btw Jumaro is my 765 Producer OC, and Hiro is one of Rinne's 765 Producer OCs! The referenced Tennoji-san (aka Fuuko) is Glitch's 765 Producer OC.  
> This is my first time actually writing these two.

It started with a question. Just one, innocent little question.

"What are you reading, Makoto-chan?"

The short-haired girl nearly dropped her manga as a voice drew her out of the story. "K-kotoha?! You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

"Oh! I'm sorry!" Kotoha apologized quickly, "Still, what is it you're reading? You've been engrossed in it for almost two hours now."

Had she really been reading that long? Makoto sheepishly rubbed the back of her neck, "Midnight Love Affair, it's a shoujo manga inspired by Cinderella!" She put in her bookmark and shut the book, "It's like a modern version with a normal highschool girl who falls in love with an idol!"

Kotoha nodded, "I see, is it good? It certainly sounds interesting."

"Oh, Hell yes!" Makoto replied instantaneously, "It has a great start with Haku, she's the heroine, running into a boy who is quickly revealed to be the famous idol Jin and, and-!"

The long-haired girl put up a hand, "Slow down, please! You're really passionate about this kind of stuff, huh?"

Makoto grinned, "Yep! Practically live off of it! Oh!" She picked up the manga, took her bookmark out, and handed it to Kotoha, "Here! You can borrow it if you want!"

"Are you sure?" Kotoha asked, "I mean, you were just reading it after all."

She shrugged, "It's fine! I've read it like eight times already!"

"Wow, impressive." Kotoha murmured as she accepted the book from her. "When do you want me to return it?"

Makoto thought, then replied, "End of the week is fine, let me know what you think of it, too!"

~

"Makoto-chan!" Kotoha ran down the hall towards her.

"Hm?" The short-haired girl stopped and turned around, "Mornin', Kotoha!"

Out of breath, Kotoha handed her the manga, "I… finished it all… last night..."

Makoto looked at her with wide eyes, "Already? That was quick!"

"Yeah, I just got so absorbed into it." Kotoha chuckled, "You were right, it's really good!"

"I knew you'd like it!" A triumphant grin appeared on her face as she took the manga from her, "So, which scene was your favorite? Mine's the one where you think Jin's going to kabedon Haku, but then she kabedons him instead!"

She nodded in agreement, "Oh, that scene was really good! Though, I think my favorite would have to be when Haku sees him onstage and realizes who he really is!"

"God, how could I forget the most important scene in all of volume one?!" Makoto held the manga to her chest. "It's just so good! Oh!" She cocked her head towards Kotoha, "I can lend you volume two and onwards. I own every single one!"

Kotoha blinked in astonishment, "Really?"

Makoto gave her a nod, "You can come over to my place afterwards to pick them up!"

"Thank you so much, Makoto-chan!"

~

Kotoha plunked the last volume on the table. "And finished!" She said with a stretch, "That ending was so good!"

"I know!" Makoto sat up on her bed, "They get together but neither ever gives up their dream! A perfect happily ever after!"

“Truly!” She nodded in agreement, “Though, now I feel like checking out another series. I think you may have gotten me addicted to manga.”

Beaming, Makoto stood up and beelined for her bookshelf. She scanned the volumes for a few seconds before pulling out two. "Since you really liked Midnight Love Affair, I think you'd probably like this series, too!"

The long-haired girl peered at the spine of one of the volume, "'Kimi ni Sakebu Yo?' I feel like I've seen this before..."

She put them on the table in front of Kotoha. "It's super popular, so it wouldn't be a surprise." Makoto sat down on the other side of the table, "Also, I was cast in a drama adaptation of it recently!"

"Really?!" Kotoha gasped, "Congratulations on the role!"

Makoto rubbed the back of her neck, "Hehe, thanks! I hope you enjoy reading it!"

~

"Finished already?!"

Kotoha nodded sheepishly, “Yeah, I just got sucked into it.”

Makoto took the volumes from her and put them back on the shelf. "You read almost as quickly as I do!" She turned around, "If you wanna, you can borrow whatever appeals to ya."

"Really?"

"Really!" She repeated, "Feel free to pick whatever, just as long as you remember to return it!" Makoto got up and went over to her desk.

Kotoha's eyes wandered about the spines of the volumes lined up on the shelf. No, she'd read that already. That too. God, Makoto owned that? A certain title popped out to her: "Our First Love."

She tugged the volume off the shelf; no number on the side, a stand-alone title. "I think I'll borrow this for a bit." Kotoha held the book up.

The short-haired girl didn't look up from whatever she was working on, "Sounds good to me!"

Kotoha didn't begin reading the manga until she had gotten home. "Our First Love" had an interesting start, it took place at an all girls academy. The main character, Ichika, was an honors student at the academy determined to graduate and attend a top university. Honestly, Kotoha saw quite a bit of herself in the character.

Later, a new character named Ruka was introduced. Ruka was a sporty tomboy who got into the school via a scholarship. She and Ichika often butted heads due to Ruka often ditching class to play sports instead. Their rivalry was so over the top it was almost comical. Though, she couldn't deny she saw a handful of similarities to Makoto in Ruka.

About a third of the way in was when that line had appeared.

With tears in her eyes, Ruka had exclaimed to Ichika, "I'm in love with you, damn it!"

Kotoha stopped, then read over the scene again. And again. And again. What was it about this specific confession that had her reading it over and over like this? Was it because it was between two girls instead of a guy and a girl like the other manga?

An image flashed into her mind of Makoto in Ruka’s place and her in Ichika’s.

Oh…

Oh…

She put down the manga. The sound of her heart beating filled her ears as realization washed over her. 

Kotoha was in love with Kikuchi Makoto.

~

“Kotoha, is something going on?” A familiar low voice asked her.

She blinked for a moment, then turned around, “N-nothing, Producer, why do you ask?”

He gave her a look of disbelief, “You’ve been falling behind for the past few days. I wouldn’t call that ‘nothing.’ Even Tennoji-san has been asking me about you.”

Has it really been that bad? If both producers had noticed then…

“Plus,” Jumaro brushed some hair away from his eye, “are you purposefully avoiding Makoto or something? Noble Regime has a live coming up and it’d be very detrimental if-”

“I-I’m not fighting with her or anything!” Kotoha interjected, her cheeks flushing scarlet, “There’s absolutely nothing to worry about!”

The brunet put up a hand, “Now, I never said anything of the sort, did I?” He let out a small sigh, “Though, I only hope that you’re both ok.”

“I am, it’s just...” She trailed off, “I’m not sure what to do.”

“What do you mean?”

She glanced around the room, “Promise you won’t tell?”

Jumaro nodded, “Not a soul.”

Kotoha took a breath, “I… I believe I have a crush on Makoto-chan.”

“I see, that certainly clears things up.” Jumaro remarked with a quiet voice.

“Do you have any advice on what I should do?” She asked.

A beat, “If you want my honest opinion, tell her.”

“What?”

“Tell her how you feel.” He reiterated, “Your guys’ happiness is most important to me, and it’s good to be honest with those you’re close to.”

Kotoha bit her lip, “But, what if she says no? What if she never wants to talk to me or even look at me ever again?!”

“Kotoha.” Jumaro’s voice took a gentle tone, “Makoto isn’t that kind of person. Even if she says no, she would still stay by your side as your friend.”

“Producer...”

"Nakai-san!" A head of purple hair popped up from around the corner, "There you are! Oh, Kotoha too! Minako and the others were wondering what was taking so long. Um, I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

Jumaro turned on his heel, "Ah, no need to worry, Hiro. We'll be right there." As Hiro disappeared, he turned back to her, "At least talk to her after practice, it'll do you both good."

~

She could barely hear her own thoughts over the sound of her own heartbeat. This was stupid, why did she decide to do this? She was going to be rejected and never spoken to agai-

The sound of the door swinging open pierced her spiral. "Kotoha?" Makoto slowly stepped into the room, "What's going on?"

She gulped, "Makoto-chan, I. I want to, no, need to tell you something."

"Shoot."

Well, now or never. Kotoha forced herself to look her dead in the eye. "I… I love you Makoto-chan!" She blurted it all in one breath.

The short-haired girl's eyes widened, "K-kotoha..."

"Now, I completely understand if you don't feel the same. I don't blame you, honestly. But I just-"

Before she could get out another word, Makoto had grabbed her face and pulled it towards her own. It took a moment for her brain to process the fact that her crush was kissing her right now.

Eventually, they had to pull away to breathe. The two girls just stood in silence for a few moments. Makoto had since let go of Kotoha's head and was now lightly gripping her hands.

"Kotoha." Makoto's face may as well have been glowing red, "I-I, like you too."

The long-haired girl smiled, and hugged her, "I'm so happy! ...Ack!"

"Wh-what is it?"

"I almost forgot!" Kotoha pulled away and rummaged through her back. She produced a volume of manga, "Here!"

Makoto took it from her, "Ah, 'Our First Love,' lemme guess, your bi awakening too?"

She rubbed the back of her neck, "Actually, ye-wait what?"

"It's because of this," she held up the manga, "that I realized I also like girls!"

"Who would have guessed shoujo manga would lead to all this!" Kotoha chuckled.

"Neither of us, that's for sure!" Makoto giggled, "Though, what do you wanna do for our first date, movie, cafe?"

"I think," Kotoha took Makoto's free hand, "I'd want to read more shoujo manga with you."

**Author's Note:**

> I took Kimi ni Sakebu Yo from Makoto's Jitensha commu meanwhile the other two manga mentioned here I completely made up.  
> Also Noble Regime is my fan unit of my five favorites in ML (Makoto/Kotoha/Tomoka/Kaori/Minako)


End file.
